2016 February Issue - Arkansas Bowhunters Association

Transcription

The Arkansas
Bowhunter
Uniting Bowhunters Since 1959
February 2016 • Official Publication of the Arkansas Bowhunter Association • Volume 23, Number 1
Spring Banquet 2016
Inside This Issue:
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
What Trouble Would It Be?
Black Bear Update
Message from the President and VP
2015-16 Urban Hunt Report
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AGFC Director Retires
Spring Banquet Speaker
Public Wild Lands Under Attack
Jack Witt Passes
The Arkansas Bowhunter
•The
Arkansas Bowhunter
Editor: (Interim) Dr. Diana Watkins
Tournament/Event Editor: Roy Junyor
Safety/Education Editor: J.D. Crawford
Hunting Editor: Brian Emmons
Layout Editor: Brian Mortier
The Arkansas Bowhunter is the official
publication of the Arkansas Bowhunters
Association, Inc. Subscriptions are for Members,
Life Members, Honorary Life Members, and
Junior Members.
The opinions and suggestions of members are
welcome as are manuscripts. All submissions are
subject to approval and editing by authority
granted by the ABA Executive Committee.
Submissions should be mailed to:
Arkansas Bowhunters Association
P.O. Box 23264
Little Rock, AR 72221
Or submitted via email at:
[email protected] or
[email protected]
February 2016 • 2
The Mission of the
Arkansas Bowhunters Association
Since 1959
1. To foster, expand and perpetuate the use of the
bow in the hunting of all legal game, birds and
animals; and to protect, improve, and increase the
privileges of bow and arrow hunters. 2. To
cooperate with Federal and State Governments,
sportsman and conservation organizations in the
propagation and conservation of game and its
natural habitat, the forest and fields.
3.
To conduct a continuous educational
program designed to acquaint the public with the
bow and its uses as a practical and humane
weapon, suitable under proper regulations for the
hunting of all game animals, fish and birds on
the American continent.
4.
To foster and perpetuate a spirit of good
fellowship among bow hunters.
Top AGFC Fine Awards 2015
Amount
Benton
$
114,345.00
Hot Spring
$
107,424.00
Pulaski
$
100,000.00
Address Changes should be submitted to the
ABA Secretary at the above ABA address.
Washington
$
100,000.00
Saline
$
85,000.00
Material in The Arkansas Bowhunter may not be
reproduced without written permission of the
editorial staff.
Cross
$
80,000.00
Garland
$
77,000.00
White
$
72,500.00
Advertising approval and rates are subject to
editorial recommendation and approval of the
ABA Executive Committee.
Howard
$
70,000.00
Woodruff
$
68,000.00
Don Gulledge
Phone: 501-730-8855
E-Mail: [email protected]
Published Quarterly:
February 15th * May 15th
August 15th * November 15th
DEADLINE for all material is 20 days prior to
the publishing date.
Least AGFC Fine Awards 2015
Amount
Cleburne
$
12,800.00
Fulton
$
12,000.00
Carroll
$
11,000.00
Drew
$
11,000.00
Desha
$
9,850.00
Lee
$
8,000.00
Pike
$
7,500.00
Logan
$
4,400.00
Yell
$
4,400.00
Cleveland
$
4,000.00
February 2016 • 3
So after you have put your equipment up done your
“Honey Do” list, taken your wife (or husband) out for
dinner and a movie then get your family and friends
and go shoot a tournament. We hope to see a lot of
new shooters this year so bring some one new with
you.
ABA
Always leave things better than you find them, wear
your safety gear, be ethical and allways be one with
Christ
President’s
Message
Kay and I were setting in the living room. She was
reading and I was watching a bowhunting show on the
T.V. She looked over at me and asked “When does
bow season end?” I looked over to her and said
“How long have we been married?” She said 40
years. I said you have asked that same question each
year for 40 years and I have given you the same
answer 40 times. The Hunting ends on your birthday
day Feb 28 or 29. Kay was born on the 29th which
makes her was a leap year child.
I added but archery season last all year. I like all the
things about bow hunting. The heat in October, the
leaves changing color and watching them fall, all the
animals that God sends by, the days of setting in a
stand by yourself and not least of these things, the
mud and cold. These are all part of bow hunting and
the fun.
On March 1st the other parts of archery and bow
hunting starts by getting your stands and equipment
back home and start getting ready for next
September. Now with these done there are a lot of
outside activities you can do with a bow and arrow.
You can shoot hogs or just walk around in the woods
and shoot a stump. What a lot of us do is shoot 3D
archery tournament all around the state. For the bow
hunter who has never been to a 3d shoot there are a lot
of benefits such as good exercise, long shot
placement, and judging distance. You will make new
friends but it is also like going to a class reunion --you
get to visit with all the friends that you have made thru
the years of 3d shooting.
AGFC Director Announces Retirement
LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission Director Mike Knoedl will be retiring in
July. Knoedl made the announcement today during a
staff meeting. He has been the agency’s director since
October 2012. He replaced Loren Hitchcock.
Knoedl has been with the agency for more than 31
years. He began his career with the AGFC in 1985.
Knoedl was the agency’s 16th director in its 100-year
history.
Commission Vice-Chairman Fred Brown said when
Knoedl was hired, he was the perfect man for the job.
“He’s exactly what we needed at the time. He has laid
the foundation to success for this agency. We’ll need
to find someone who can keep building on what
Mike’s already accomplished,” Brown said.
Commissioner Ken Reeves echoed Brown’s remarks.
“The contributions Mike has made to our Commission
are immeasurable. Our agency is in better shape than
it was in when he became director in every respect,”
Reeves said. “I have been particularly impressed with
the fact that he based every difficult decision he made,
and there were many, on the effect the decision would
have on the people who work for the AGFC and the
resources we are charged with protecting and
preserving. Everyone in Arkansas, not just the hunters
February 2016 • 4
and fishermen, owes a debt of gratitude to Mike for
Arkansas Bowhunters Association, Inc.
his lifetime legacy of hard work and devotion to our
Executive Committee
mission. Mike put us on the pathway to success and I
2014-2015
am confident the Commission will carry Mike's legacy
forward to even better times.” Knoedl said his
President:
Vice President:
management philosophy was simple. “One man
Jim Meyers
Roy Junyor
cannot run every bit of this process. That’s why the
P. O. Box 285
P. O. Box 1021
AGFC is staffed with experts in each discipline. I
Gould, AR 71643
Greenbrier, AR 72058
870-374-0134
501-733-7245
listened to our staff, put faith in their judgment to
guide us, as a team, toward a better future. The
Treasurer:
Secretary:
direction I gave didn’t only come from the staff, but
Brian Emmons
Aaron Nickson
also the public we serve,” he said.
“Mike has been a great leader,” Commissioner Steve
Cook said. “His experience was invaluable as director.
Mike looked for input and guidance from the great
AGFC employees who have dedicated their lives to
this agency. He was the right person to lead us into the
future. We’ll miss him.”
51 Schultz Rd.
Vilonia, AR 72173
501-796-8900
1220 Jenson Rd.
Hackett, AR 72937
479-285-1797
Immediate Past President:
Jeff Smith
894 Grant 10
Sheridan, AR 72150
501-540-6385
Legislative Chairman:
Jim Meyers
P. O. Box 285
Gould, AR 71643
870-374-0134
Field Governors
Knoedl began his AGFC career in 1985 as a Perry
County wildlife officer. In 2008, he became chief of
the Enforcement Division, a position he held until
2011. Knoedl was born and raised in Pulaski County.
He is married to the former Lisa Garlington and has
four grown children.
The AGCF is launching an intensive Nationwide
search for the new AGFC Director. Check the AGFC
web site or the ABA bowhunters website for job
qualifications and specifications.
Name (Term expires)
Heath Brashear (16)
Teddy Morehead Jr. (17)
Lance Rochelle (16)
Dion Fernau (17)
J.D. Crawford (16)
Mike Rossie (17)
Wade Tucker (17)
Don Gulledge (16)
Travis Maynard (17)
John Robertson (16)
Eric Deckelman (16)
Dwayne Spangler (17)
Area
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
Phone
(479) 641-7758
(870) 373-1376
(501) 605-4382
(501)650-4155
(501) 650-7858
(501) 987-7959
(501) 428-0016
(501) 730-8855
(501) 425-3045
(501) 692-4544
(501) 253-0850
(870) 373-8098
Public Wild Lands Under Attack
February 2016 • 5
Like most public lands in the West, the birth of
Mehleur Refuge can be traced back to unclaimed
federal land. Land so rugged, so economically unviable and inhospitable, that the hardiest of settlers
avoided it. Even when offered up free for the taking
under the Homestead Act. So, in a story common to
the birth of many refuges, this land offering no
Anti-government radicals have brought a lot of
attention to our national wildlife refuges. Armed with
guns and an agenda, they've taken over one of our
nation’s oldest wildlife refuges, Malheur Refuge near
Burns, Oregon. With comical claims that it's illegal
for the federal government to own land, they've vowed economic incentive to develop nor hope to profit from
to remain until the refuge relinquishes ownership.
it, was left vacant and unwanted.
The concept of national wildlife refuges as a tool to
protect wild habitats was first conceived in 1903 by
one of our oldest hunting organizations, the
venerable Boone and Crockett Club and its influential
founder, Teddy Roosevelt.
Roosevelt, an avid hunter, had witnessed the near
extinction of American buffalo as well as wading
birds decimated for their plumes. Demand for
fashionable ladies hats combined with unregulated
hunting meant that a safe-haven or " refuge" for
wildlife was needed. From its 3 acre start with
San Isabel National Forest- Colorado
Pelican Island in 1903, our system of refuges now
protects a network of over 500 areas critical to
I chuckle as the media broadcasts the Bundy brigade's wildlife from Key West to Kodiak.
demands to have the refuge "returned to the people".
Returned to who? I want to ask. Bundy and his
militia? For 107 years the refuge has belonged to all
Americans. You, me and future generations of
Americans. It is not their private land, never has been.
These guys need a history lesson.
Coeur d'Alene National Forest- Idaho
Caribou National Forest -Idaho
Roosevelt and fellow Boone and Crockett Club
members had the rare ability to look beyond their
generation. Because of their forethought, modern
February 2016 • 6
sportsmen are able to experience these wild places
much as they were 100 years ago. Intact and
unspoiled.
Here in Arkansas our position within the Mississippi
flyway has benefited us with the establishment of ten
national wildlife refuges. Most protect dwindling
bottomland forest and wetlands along flood prone
rivers and serve as stop-over points for migratory
waterfowl. Though they have a "wildlife first"
mandate they also provide some of the finest deer and
duck hunting in the nation.
National Forest Lands- Idaho
Public wild-lands need an enduring voice. Someone to
step up and speak out against lawmakers who view
our BLM lands, National Forests and Wildlife
Refuges as a burden. Simply unused real-estate to be
developed or resources extracted. A taxpayer asset to
be divvied up and bargained away during elections.
Fortunately, today's sportsmen remain the strongest
advocate and best hope for securing the future of our
public wild-lands. Any call to take our public wildlands from us will be met with overwhelming
objection from those who revere it the most. The
American sportsmen.
Uncompahgre National Forest- Colorado
Arkansas sportsmen may be quick to dismiss this call
by armed radicals to turn over refuge lands so far
away. We shouldn't. Because these homegrown
terrorist, with their twisted ideologies, are hell-bent on
slitting the throats of ALL public wild lands.
The attack on Mehleur, should be a wake up call. A
warning, like the canary in the coal mine, to all
sportsmen about this growing threat toward our public
wild lands.
As America grows more crowded and disconnected
from nature (94% of the US population lives in
metropolitan areas) public lands will be increasingly
vulnerable to changing political winds, exploitation,
and indifference.
Jim L. Taylor
President
Best Pallets Inc
5 Steps to Victory
3- D season is fast approaching and many of
us are getting ready to tune up our bows and
start practicing. I used to go out every day and
fling arrows for hours at a time, but I rarely
noticed any change in my score on the range.
It wasn’t until I broke down my practice to
focus on each individual element of shooting
that I started turning in winning scores. I
basically broke down my practice into five
different steps that helped me win more than
200 first place tournaments.
1. Blank Bale shooting - You hear so much
of this because IT WORKS. Before every
practice session, I like to get up close to
the target and fire about three shots with
my eyes closed concentrating on nothing
but a smooth release and follow through.
2. Aiming - After I practice my form with
some Blank Bale shooting, I back up from
the targets about 15 yards and draw my
bow. I concentrate on holding my pin
where I want it to be. I like to do this
about three times before I start shooting
and, over time, keeping my pin on the 12
ring becomes easier.
3. Self-Discipline - Practicing having more
self-discipline is as important as
practicing judging distance or any other
part of shooting. Any time I am shooting
and punch the trigger or drop my arm, I
immediately go back to the target and do
some Blank Bale shooting. If I release my
bow before the pin is where I want, I go
back and practice my aiming. If you are
shooting your bow and do not try to
correct your mistakes when they happen,
you are just practicing bad habits and
wasting your time. Somedays, I only
practice my aiming or release.
4. Keeping records - During each
tournament I made special note of all of
my bad shots. I wrote down the distance
of the target, where I hit, and the reason I
thought I missed. Doing this allowed me
to recognize my weak areas and come up
with a way to correct them. I also like to
February 2016 • 7
keep score on my practice so I can see
how I am improving. Scoring my practice
will also allow me to make correct
decisions on any changes I make to my
bow or equipment. An example, if my
average score of practicing is a 191 out of
200, and I buy some new arrows and my
average score goes down to 188, I’m not
going to shoot them much longer.
5. Judging Distance - For every hour you
spend shooting, I recommend spending
two hours judging distance. Learn to look
at the detail of a target. How you see
certain scoring lines, creases, ridges, and
details on each style target will give you
clues to its range. I also like to walk
around the woods with a range finder
learning what the ground looks like in
different terrain and lighting conditions at
10,20,40 yards and so on.
Breaking down your practice with the purpose
of targeting improvements on each part of
shooting will allow you to replace all your
bad habits with good ones. Always practice
with a goal in mind and practice with a
purpose. Train yourself to have enough selfdiscipline to correct your mistakes when they
happen. Dedicate time each day to just
judging distance and looking at targets and its
surrounding until judging is just second nature
to you. Following these steps will improve
your skills, and I’m sure you will have your
best 3-D season ever.
Jody Smith
Stuttgart, Arkansas
[email protected]
February 2016 • 8
MIKE STATEN
Nacogdoches, Texas as a Wildlife Biologist for
International Paper Company in 1984 to 1986
managing over 500 hunting leases on 300,000 acres in
east Texas.
WILDLIFE MANAGER
ANDERSON-TULLY COMPANY
Speaker for ABA Awards Banquet
In 1986, he moved to Lake Village, Arkansas as
Wildlife Manager for Anderson-Tully Company with
the charge of balancing the deer herd with habitat,
Mike was born in Springhill, Louisiana, the son of a
since the deer population was negatively impacting
forester. His father was instrumental in leading him
desirable tree regeneration. This required intensive
toward a career in natural resource management. He
deer management using a Quality Deer Management
earned a Bachelor of Science in Forestry (Wildlife
Program. The company manages over 300,000 acres
Option) from Louisiana Tech University in 1975 and a of hardwood forests along the Mississippi River in
Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology from
seven states from Mississippi to Illinois. The 250
Mississippi State University in 1977.
hunting clubs collect data and jawbones from each
deer harvested. This amounts to 6000-7000 data sets
per year. Each year, clubs receive a summary of data
collected the previous year along with a management
plan covering buck and doe quotas with antler
restrictions for the coming year. The goal is to manage
for older age class bucks and to create the best deer
management program on industrial forestland in the
nation.
Mike is a Certified Wildlife Biologist through The
Wildlife Society, a Certified Forester through the
Society of American Foresters, and a Registered
Forester in the states of Alabama and Arkansas.
[email protected]
His first job was Unit Forester with International
Paper Company in Chatom, Alabama from 1977 to
1984 managing pine plantations. He transferred to
February 2016 • 9
Saw your way to better wildlife habitat
LITTLE ROCK—Leaving things half-done often
yields lackluster results, but in the case of hinge
cuts, an unfinished job can be excellent for wildlife.
Hinge cutting is simply cutting halfway through a
tree and allowing the top to fall over. The top creates
instant cover but does not die, so it continues to
produce leaves and vertical shoots. If the tree is a
desirable browse species, a new food source also is
created. One landowner with a chainsaw can create
plenty of brushy cover and browse in one weekend
that benefits all sorts of wildlife. This is effective on
cedars, or small, low-quality oaks. Native grasses
and vegetation also are allowed to grow by increased
sunlight penetrating the forest canopy. This can
create good nesting habitat for turkeys, quail, rabbits
and other creatures. Deer love to bed and raise fawns
in these browse-rich areas as well.
The best trees for hinge cuts are around 4 to 6 inches
in diameter and have little potential to provide hard
mast for deer. You obviously don’t want to cut down
your mature oak trees. Once a tree is selected, cut
halfway to three-quarters of the way through the
trunk of the tree level to the ground. If you also want
to use the hinged tree to funnel deer toward a certain
spot, you can cut the tree 24 to 36 inches above the
ground to add a barrier. Cut through the tree just
enough to lay it down. Reach as high as you can on
the tree and slowly pull it to the ground without
breaking the trunk. Be careful while pulling the tree
over. Some trees can “blow out” rather than fold
down. Start with some small trees, and then lay the
bigger trees on top of the smaller ones to cushion the
fall as you cut. Ease the trees to the ground,
especially bigger trees since a hard landing can
cause the remaining attached wood to break.
For bedding areas, a half to 2 acres of hinge cuts
generally provide adequate habitat. Consider taking
a weekend after hunting season and before spring
green-up to improve your habitat with this simple
habitat management practice.
Visit www.agfc.com/habitat for more information on
how you can improve the habitat on your property..
February 2016 • 10
Arkansas Black Bear Population Steady
LITTLE ROCK – Myron Means, large carnivore program coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission, presented the results of the 2015 black bear season at the Jan. 21, 2016 meeting of the AGFC.
According to Means, hunters killed 393 bears during 2015. Hunters harvested 256 male bears and 137 female
bears statewide. Archery hunters accounted for 77 percent of the harvest, which is typical of bear hunting in
Arkansas.
“Reproduction and cub survival were normal in the Ozarks, Ouachitas and Delta,” Means said. “However, we do
have a relatively small sample size in the Delta, so that should be taken into consideration.”
Commission Chairman Emon Mahony and Director Mike Knoedl both inquired about increased bear sightings in
south Arkansas and the feasibility of opening a bear season in the Gulf Coastal Plain. Means says there is a
research project proposal in place to estimate the true population in that region, which will determine the validity
of such a season.
“We know we have bears across that region of the state, and we try to document reports as best we can, but the
reports we get come in as clusters,” Means said. “Sometimes one bear can visit multiple deer clubs, so the
perception is that we have 50 bears when in reality we only have two or three. The research project should help us
get the numbers on growth rates and density we need.”
Means does expect to have a bear season in the Gulf Coastal Plain one day, if the research justifies the need. He
warns that it would be an extremely conservative season. “Bears harvested in that area will likely be on private
land and on bait sites,” Means said. “Any time you have that scenario, you run the risk of killing too many the
first year and eliminating the population in that area.”
Compound Bowhunter of the Year
July 2014 to May 2015 Season
Applications need to be turned in no later than the 1st of Jan 2016. (Just remember the
date to renew your hunting licenses.) The applications will be screened and the winner
will be determined at the September Executive Committee Meeting. Contact your field
governors or any ABA officer to apply. The winner will be announced at the following
Spring Banquet.
Restrictions:
Open to all Archery equipment except crossbows.
Urban Hunt Deer must be entered on the Urban Bowhunter of the Year form
Limit on Deer is based on AGFC Statewide Limit
Big Game:
Deer
Turkey
Bear
Hogs
Antlerless – 100 points
Legal Buck – 150 points
Quantity
________
________
Total Points:
__________
__________
150 points
200 points
25 points
________
________
________
__________
__________
__________
________
__________
(Maximum of 100 points)
Small Game:
Predators
10 points
(AGFC Furbearer - Racoon,Bobcats,Skunks,Cayotes,Fox – 100 point Maximum)
Each
5 points
________
__________
________
__________
All legal species of small game (including fish).
No more than three per species of small game.
(Maximum 25 points on Small Game)
Education:
Each course
5 points
Each recognized education course taught as a certified instructor.
(Maximum 25 points on Education)
Total Points:
__________
All game must be legally taken with a legal bow in the State of Arkansas, by Arkansas Game and Fish Regulations and according to the ethical Rules of Fair
Chase.
Youth Bowhunter of the Year
Applications need to be turned in no later than the 1st of Jan 2016. (Just remember the
Spring Banquet.
Restrictions:
Open to all Archery equipment except crossbows.
Must be under 16 years old.
Big Game:
Deer
Turkey
Bear
Hogs
Quantity
________
________
Total Points:
__________
__________
150 points
200 points
25 points
________
________
________
__________
__________
__________
________
__________
(Maximum of 100 points)
Small Game:
Predators
10 points
Each
5 points
________
__________
________
__________
Education:
Each course
5 points
Total Points:
__________
Chase.
Urban Bowhunter of the Year
Applications need to be turned in no later than the 1st of Jan2016. (Just remember the
Spring Banquet.
Restrictions: Open to all Archery equipment except crossbows.
Urban Hunt Deer Only. No other game allowed.
Game taken outside the Urban Hunt zones must be entered on either Compound or Traditional
Bowhunter of the Year forms
Attach a copy of the Urban Hunt Check sheet. It’s located on the back of your placard.
No Limit on Urban hunt deer.
Big Game:
Deer
Turkey
Bear
Hogs
Quantity
________
________
Total Points:
__________
__________
0 points
0 points
0 points
________
________
________
__________
__________
__________
________
__________
________
__________
________
__________
(Maximum 0 points)
Small Game:
Predators
0 points
Each
0 points
Education/Orientations:
Each course 1 points
Volunteer to help with IBEP and/or Urban Hunt Orientations.
Total Points:
__________
Chase.
Traditional Bowhunter of the Year
Applications need to be turned in no later than the 1st of Jan 2016 (Just remember the
Spring Banquet.
Restrictions:
Open to Long Bow and Recurve hunters only.
Big Game:
Deer
Quantity
________
________
Total Points:
__________
__________
________
________
________
__________
__________
__________
________
__________
(Maximum based on AGFC Statewide limit)
Turkey
Bear
Hogs
150 points
200 points
25 points
(Maximum 100 points)
Small Game:
Predators
10 points
Each
5 points
________
__________
________
__________
Education:
Each course
5 points
Total Points:
__________
Chase.
Archery Hall of Fame
Jack Witt Bio
11/10/2009
Jack Preston Witt
Contributor to the Sport / Influence on the Sport
Information submitted by Keith de Noble
“Jack was a major player in getting bowhunting and archery going,” said John Heuston, retired
outdoor writer. “He was a real leader and probably should be in the Archery Hall of Fame.”
Ron Powell, formerly of Ben Pearson, Inc. remembered, “He was like a second father to me. My
dad was president of the company, so I worked there and had the opportunity to work with Jack on
many things.”
I, too, felt as if Jack was a second father, and would not be surprised to hear of others felt the same
way. My father died in 1970, just a bit under a year after I first started bowhunting. It was Jack who
got me started after visiting his store, the Archery Center, on Old Cantrell Road, Little Rock,
Arkansas, in September 1969. When I had left the store my wallet was thirty-two dollars and change
lighter but I was the proud owner of a Ben Pearson Cougar recurve, six arrows, three of which were
tipped with Ben Pearson Deadhead broadheads, and the others with field points. In addition, my
tackle included a Kwikee Kwiver bow quiver, an arm guard, and a shooting glove.
I was a bowhunter – rather, I thought I was a bowhunter. Through the next few years, and with
Jack’s persistent influence, along with a few others, I became a bowhunter, and an archer. My story
is one of hundreds, most likely thousands where Jack was involved.
“Jack and I were very close friends,” relates Bill Clements, one of the founding members of the
Arkansas Bowhunters Association. “Jack’s greatest contribution to archery was his ability to get
along with people, and bring them together. You couldn’t help but get along with Jack.
“Jack actually started the Arkansas Bowhunters Association (ABA). It was his idea to set up a
meeting where he let us know there were clubs in other states and one was needed in Arkansas,”
remembers Bill Clements. Jack was an Honorary Life Member of the ABA, and in the first class to
be inducted into the ABA Hall of Fame, along with Ben Pearson, Roger Maynard, and Webster
Meggs in 2000.
Hersey Nelson, who headed production at Ben Pearson, Inc. for a number of years remembers, “Jack
was a real close friend. We made several trips together where we promoted the sport.”
Clements explained, “Jack came to Ben Pearson when he saw the handwriting on the wall with the
Coca-Cola Company and realized he had gone as far as he could. He placed an advertisement in the
Wall Street Journal which was noticed by Carl Haun, then president of Ben Pearson, Inc. Haun
called him up for an interview. Jack was hired to handle sales and promotion of the Sovereign
Division of the company.”
When Jack was interviewed by Carl Haun, he remembered, “The president of the company asked
me, ‘What do you know about archery?’ I told him, ‘Nothing.’ He said, “How do you think I can
hire you to talk about archery when you don’t know anything about it?’ I asked him if he had
anyone who knew archery. He said, ‘Sure.’ I said, ‘It looks to me that you can either teach me
archery or teach them sales promotion.”
Nelson related how Jack did not know how to shoot a bow when he went to work for Pearson, “So, I
worked with him. The string kept hitting him in the nose. I told him, ‘All you have to do is keep your
nose out of the way – as I chuckled’. Jack worked hard. He was a fast learner.”
Chuckle! Jack had a unique and infectious laugh that can only be described as a chuckle. When he
started he would steadily lower his head while chuckling. I presume it was his way of respecting the
person while laughing at the circumstances. There were countless times I witnessed his chuckle,
most as a result of my own actions or words. He used to claim he would get his 2x4 and whack me
if I didn’t quit making silly shooting mistakes. He had a way of getting my attention.
“Jack was a heck of a guy,” said Harry Lindsey, former Controller of Ben Pearson, Inc. “He was a
real promoter for us. The company bought a place near Mountain View that had been known as ‘The
Land of the Crossbow’. We changed it to ‘The Land of the Longbow’. At the time, Ben Pearson was
president of the Southern Archery Association. With Jack’s help, they organized a tournament at the
location that was well attended.” Lindsey finished by saying, “Jack was a real dedicated fellow.
He commuted from Little Rock to Pine Bluff every day.”
Jack was a teacher, unique in his ability and qualifications. Clements explains it well, “When I
started shooting, I improved rapidly, then my scores fell back. I fought the problem for quite a while
and finally called Jack. He had me come over to his house and shoot in his garage. Jack believed in
shooting up close to the target. That way you didn’t worry about missing the target and you could
concentrate on the shot. After watching me for a while, he chuckled that special chuckle of his and
said, ‘You don’t have any idea what you’re doing do you? You’re peeking. You want to hit the
target, know you won’t hit it, so you freeze. He fixed my problem and I started improving steadily.”
Powell related some of Jack’s influence on archery, “He helped coordinate and promote the
Cobo Hall shoots in Detroit.
Jack, John D. Sanders, and I drove in a company Volkswagen van to Colorado Springs to spend a
week coordinating Boy Scout
Jamboree shoots, exhibitions, and training. It was my most memorable experience of Jack.”
Ernie Decker is one of my closest friends, going back to high school. When I started bowhunting, he
was still focused on gun deer hunting, and duck hunting with his dad. In 1971, while serving in the
Arkansas National Guard, he met Major Ernest Jackson, who got him started in tournament archery.
Like many, Decker purchased his equipment from the Archery Center with the help of Jack and his
long-time friend and employee, Lois McMillan.
Ernie and I shot in the 1971 Arkansas Field Archery Association State Championship (AFAA) and
two weeks later shot in the Arkansas State Archery Association State Championship. We had to go
to the Archery Center to buy more arrows to finish the AFAA shoot on the second day. Jack got a
pretty good chuckle out of that. We took plenty of arrows to the second shoot. Later that year we
attended our first ABA Fall Broadhead Championship. Ernie remembers the rifts that existed
between the organizations and what Jack had to say about it, “What you really need is a common
enemy.” A wisdom still applicable in today’s anti-hunting environment.
Jack purchased Pearson’s Archery Center at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and moved it to Little Rock on
April 1, 1968, to the first of his two locations during his ownership.
In an article written by Paul Banta that appeared in the June 7, 1979, issue of The Arkansas Gazette,
Jack related the following which illustrates his good humor, “We’ll go through several thousand
dozen feathers a year. Ben Pearson used two million turkeys a year to make arrows. We used to tell
people that Thanksgiving and Christmas were by-products of archery.”
Gertrude Witt, affectionately known as ‘Gertie’, married Jack on September 29, 1946. “Jack was
quite an artist. He painted a big van owned by Ben Pearson, Inc. that they took to Cobo Hall. When
he was helping set up the ranges near Hot Springs, Arkansas, for a National Field Archery
Association Championship, he suffered a severe cut on his leg from a chainsaw and spent some time
in the hospital. I never knew about it until he came home after spending most of two months down
there working to get ready for that shoot.
“He helped teach archery to the students at the Arkansas Blind School. I remember a big
demonstration he and Ben
Pearson put on at the Lafayette Hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Arkansas Butane Dealers
Association and Independent Oil
Marketers had a convention. They were urged to shoot an apple off a person’s head. Jack
respectfully declined.”
Not only was Jack a promoter, a shooter, an artist, and an avid golfer, he was also an author. His
articles on the sport appeared in Japanese publications and The Archers’ Magazine (TAM), and
numerous other publications.
In the June, 1963, issue, which highlighted the Silver (25th) Anniversary of Ben Pearson, Inc., Jack’s
article, “The Archery Clinic” appeared with an interesting subtitle: Problem: YOU! The article
succinctly and accurately relayed how most of our shooting problems come from within. The sage
advice he offered is still as pertinent today as when he penned it.
John P. Everett, editor of TAM and author of, “The World’s Largest Archery Equipment
Manufacturing Plant,” about Ben Pearson, Inc. wrote this about Jack Witt, “… in Walter Maupin’s
words, “always takes a good picture” and, we feel, he is as near as anyone comes to being the
“picture” of an archer. Cook, calm and almost casual, he went around the field course on the last day
or our visit and we were amazed, when we added up the score, to find Jack had shot a “cool” 240plus for the 14 targets with very little fuss about it.
“Then, having finished this bit of extra-curricular activity, he sat down and just as coolly, calmly and
almost casually typed out his column which appears in this issue. That’s Jack Witt. He seems to
“play at his work” but we suspect he “works at his play” and, in doing so, he and his five
representatives who travel the country promoting archery and the Golden Sovereign line and the Ben
Pearson company have done far more for the progress of our sport and the progress of the company
than can easily be measured.”
Powell summed up his thoughts, “Jack had a lot of charisma. He did a lot of great things. He promoted
archery in general.
Certainly, Jack was a key figure. I think he deserves to be in the Archery Hall of Fame.”
Jack Witt was born in Hope, Arkansas on December 9, 1914, and died at age 65, of multiple
myeloma on September 8, 1980. Sixty-five years was too little for a man of his talent and influence,
and yet, it was 65 very good years.
In the 11 years I knew Jack he had a profound influence on me. I was indeed fortunate to have had
such a fine older friend, mentor, and father figure in my life. He is in my Hall of Fame.
2015-2016 Urban Hunt
Below is the hyperlink for accessing
deer harvest info for 2015-2016 by
zone on the Internet. This includes all
Urban Hunt Zones. This buck was
harvested on opening day for the
Urban Hunt in Russellville. Go to the
ABA Facebook page for info.
https://www.ark.org/agfc/gamecheck/reports.
php?do:deerByZone=1
The Well-Armed Woman NWA Chapter to Present Bowhunting Segment July 2016
The Well-Armed Woman, NWA Chapter, meets at
social activities for women wanting to learn to
Ozark Outdoor Supply on Hwy 412 monthly in
defend their homes and families. The approach to
st
nd
Tontitown on the 1 and 2 Thursday evening of
educating women in self-defense is to teach them
the month. The Well-Armed Woman is a National
they are not helpless victims. They can and will
Woman’s Shooting Club
know how to react if they are
dedicated to teaching women to
threatened. The club also
Contact Diana Watkins,
handle firearms responsibly in a
provides free indoor shooting
[email protected]
threatening situation where
range time with certified NRA
for
program
info
and
they or their families might be
Range Instructors and pistol
details.
threatened. The two club
Instructors. Ozark Outdoor
meetings are because the club
Supply graciously allows
has grown so rapidly two meetings are required to
women members to rent their handguns free of
allow all members and guests to attend programs.
charge for range time so they can learn which
The woman’s shooting club presents programs on
handguns suit them personally. Your own
self-defense, CCL Licensing, selection of firearms,
newsletter editor who is a certified NRA Instructor
current laws regarding self-defense, etc. The club is
will present the segment on bowhunting for the July
geared towards informing, equipping, and providing
meetings. Contact her at the email above.
The Arkansas
November 2015
Bowhunter
P.O. Box 23264
Little Rock, AR 72221
Pre-Sorted
Standard
US Postage
PAID
Conway, AR
Permit #16
________________________________________________
What Trouble Would It Be?
By Steve Griffith
What trouble would it be to
take your children scouting
this spring to carry a tired
young child on your back to
let them find those shed horns
to let them participate in one
of life’s cycles. What trouble
would it be to show them
springs uncovering of life and
death to show them her
beauty her wild array of
greens to show them their
ugliness her uncovering of
lost struggles of life to help
them understand both! What
trouble would it be to take
them bow fishing for rough
fish to help them filet the carp
to let them savor the pickled
smoked flesh to help them
understand harvest. What
trouble would it be to let
them buy a bow this summer
to let them shoot the 3-D
tournament with you and let them experience
success with close shots
to let them have fun with
you! What trouble would
it be to show them the fall
trail to show them a good
tree for a predator to
show them the stand you
will use to show them the
responsibilities of
learning to hunt. What
trouble would it be to
share your time to be a
mentor to ensure others
will love to hunt to share
the greatest of sports
bowhunting to share
something you love with
someone you love. What
trouble would it be?
What trouble will we be
in if we do not?

2016 February Issue - Arkansas Bowhunters Association

Transcription

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